Lindsey Buckingham

An enormously gifted presence in American rock-n-roll since the early 1970s, Lindsey Buckingham rose to fame as a key figure in the stratospheric ascent of Fleetwood Mac on the strength of the album Rumours (1977). Along with then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks, Buckingham's intensely personal lyrics and precise, finger-picked guitar work on songs like "Go Your Own Way" and "The Chain" helped to make the album one of the most popular rock releases of the decade, if not the late 20th century. But behind the record's sun-dappled harmonies and pop-rock groove were lyrics about longing and loss, fueled in part by the breakup of Buckingham and Nicks' relationship. He would, apart from the group, also define himself through a solo career that hinged on more modern sounding material like 1984's electronic-driven "Go Insane." Buckingham severed ties with Fleetwood Mac in 1987, only to return as a full-fledged member in 1997 for a wildly popular series of reunion tours. The exposure afforded by the reunited Mac eventually boosted his solo career, which broke into the Top 50 in the new millennium. Ever restless and inventive with his music, Buckingham was able to reconcile his classic work with Fleetwood Mac with his solo ambitions -- combining the two with a duet album with bandmate Christine McVie in 2017 -- thus preserving his status as one of rock's most talented and dedicated figures. It was announced in April 2018 that Buckingham had chosen to depart Fleetwood Mac once more.